TORONTO, March 31, 2016 鈥� at 91亚色 U鈥檚 School of Social Work has created a hub for sharing information and ideas to break barriers unique to marginalized youth, through an ideal channel to reach them: the internet.

The was launched today to facilitate youth workers, youth and all who have vested interest in youth wellbeing. They can search for and share information, including academic research and resources rooted in both professional practice and personal experiences in this online space, in a combined effort to break the many barriers faced by Aboriginal, newcomer, racialized, disabled and LGBTTQ youth and those with special needs.

鈥淭he eXchange is an extension of YouthREX鈥檚 efforts and commitment to enhance youth wellbeing and to support grassroots youth workers,鈥� says Professor Uzo Anucha, Provincial Academic Director of YouthREX. 鈥淚t will help to keep them abreast of the latest in research, promising practices and news related to their work.鈥�

The eXchange includes a searchable content library of more than 500 curated and YouthREX created resources in several categories, offering study reports, summaries of academic literature and toolkits, to strengthen youth work.

For example, the youth program-evaluation toolkit includes tools and templates with step-by-step actions structured around YouthREX鈥檚 own evaluation framework.

YouthREX is funded through the Province of Ontario鈥檚 , which is designed to the address the root causes of youth violence while providing community support where it is needed most.

鈥淲e鈥檙e very proud of the innovative work the Youth Research & Evaluation eXchange is accomplishing for Ontario鈥檚 young people and the youth sector,鈥� said Tracy MacCharles, Minister of Children and Youth Services. 鈥淏y supporting projects like YouthREX, we鈥檙e sharing tried and tested ideas to provide the right opportunities to help youth make positive choices and reach their full potential.鈥�

To mark the website launch, YouthREX is releasing a research report that includes a survey of more 200 participants and key informant interviews with 60 youth workers from across Ontario. According to Anucha, this research captures the voices and perspectives of youth organizations on evaluation and the challenges they face with measuring and sharing their impact on youth wellbeing.

鈥淲ith the eXchange in place, research information on youth development is easily accessible to youth organizations and they can also share evidence-based practices in their work with young people who are in challenging situations,鈥� Lekan Olawoye of Studio Y鈥� MaRS Discovery District, who is also the chair of YouthREX鈥橲 Provincial Advisory Committee.

is known for championing new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our 52,000 students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Meaningful and sometimes unexpected careers result from cross-discipline programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. 91亚色 students and graduates push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world鈥檚 most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. 91亚色 U is an internationally recognized research university 鈥� our 11 faculties and 24 research centres have partnerships with 200+ leading universities worldwide.

Media Contact:
Gloria Suhasini, 91亚色, 416-736-2100, ext. 22094, suhasini@yorku.ca

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